As Iraq Surplus Rises, Little Goes Into Rebuilding

Soaring oil prices will leave the Iraqi government with a cumulative budget surplus of as much as $79 billion by year's end, according to an American federal oversight agency. But Iraq has spent only a minute fraction of that on reconstruction costs, which are now largely borne by the United States.

The land theft continues: Israel to build new homes on occupied land

Israel issued on Thursday a tender for the construction of 447 housing units in settlements in the Jerusalem area, drawing fire from Palestinians who accused the Jewish state of sabotaging chances of peace.

Under the tender, Israel will build some 130 housing units in Har Homa, an area Palestinians refer to as Jabal Abu Ghneim. The tender also calls for construction of 317 housing units in Beitar Illit, a settlement near Jerusalem.

Palestinians see the building in Har Homa as the last rampart in a wall of settlements encircling Arab East Jerusalem, cutting it off from the rest of the occupied West Bank. Palestinians want the land for a future state with Arab East Jerusalem as its capital.

The looting and destruction of Iraq's ancient sites

One of the great crimes committed against the people of Iraq was the looting of the Baghdad Museum and the destruction of many important ancient sites inside Iraq.

As the drums beat for more war in Iran, there is a valid concern that Iran's ancient archeological sites face risk of destruction. I agree. And more to the point, I think that destruction of ancient sites is deliberate policy.

Egypt is literally littered with the ruins of the ancient temples and palaces of her rulers. As much as has been found, it is estimated that only 1/3 of Egypt's archeological wonders have been uncovered. A newly discovered temple was uncovered while digging a sewer line, and a cache of finely preserved mummies was literally stumbled over by a cow in a pasture.

Iraq's ancient heritage was enshrined in its ancient sites and museum. As a result of the war, many of those sites have been damaged or destroyed. Part of the ancient city of Ur now lies underneath a US air base runway. The treasures of the museum have only partly been recovered. The treasures from the looted archaeological sites have been scattered to the world.

The Iraq Mines Nightmare

Basra - Iraqi children are life-threatened with nearly 25 million unexploded ordinances, about 25 percent of the global unexploded ordinances, left behind by wars that plagued the country in recent decades.

"I lost my son and my daughter is now handicapped because of the mines near our farm," cried Um Khalid, 34, a mother of two who lives in a rural area near the Kuwait-Iraq border south of Basra.

"We never know were to step and had called many times for the government to clean the area but in vain. Had I to lose a child to bring some attention to our area?" she fumed.

I raqi mines, which are about 25 percent of the global unexploded ordinances, were placed during the Iraq-Iran war, the first Gulf War and the 2003 US-led invasion.

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There are nearly 25 million unexploded ordinances in Iraq, about 25 percent of the global unexploded ordinances.

The Jewish Settler Pogrom Against Palestinians Must Be Stopped Now

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Nets run over the pavements of the Old Quarter of Hebron, to spare the pedestrians getting hit by the trash dropped out the windows by the settlers.

Nazi-like Jewish settlers have of late stepped up their indiscriminate attacks on Palestinian civilians and their property throughout the West Bank.

In some areas, like in the Hebron region, settler attacks have assumed pogrom-like proportions. What is particularly outrageous is that most of these attacks take place in full view of Israeli soldiers who watch passively as heavily armed settlers gang up on helpless Palestinian civilians.